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JOINT DECLARATION - Canada-Spain Cooperation Agenda

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As allies and partners, Canada and Spain share common values and interests reinforced by close person to person and economic ties. Our shared commitment to create economic growth that benefits everyone, reduce inequalities and build inclusive societies, combat climate change, advance women’s empowerment and gender equality, and work towards a safer and more peaceful world will form the basis of stronger and deeper bilateral relations.

Trade for the Benefit of All

Prime Minister Trudeau and President of Government Sanchez are committed to work together to promote free trade and create economic growth that benefits everyone. Our vision of trade is one that benefits all of our citizens, respects and enhances environmental sustainability, protects labour rights, and recognizes and reaffirms the role of governments in protecting the public interest. The Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between Canada and the EU provides a framework to increase bilateral trade flows.

Expanded bilateral trade between Canada and Spain will create jobs and generate growth and prosperity in both countries, in particular for small and medium-sized companies that make up a large part of both our economies, with notable opportunities in the areas of agriculture, environmental technologies and renewable energy, life sciences and biotechnology, information and communications technologies, and aerospace. The leaders will work together to communicate the benefits of free trade to our respective populations, to protect the most vulnerable groups and to support our companies as they seek to diversify into each other’s markets.

We reaffirm our rejection of trade protectionism and stand firm behind the rules-based multilateral trading system and the indispensable role of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in managing and safeguarding trade. Both Spain and Canada recognize challenges facing the WTO and underline the need to find ways to modernize global trade rules to ensure they work for all.

Both countries will continue to advance for gender equality, environmental sustainability, and labour rights, and commit to working together to promote and advance these issues in international economic forums, including the WTO, G20 and OECD. Finally, the leaders commit to organising an event specifically focused on promoting the leadership of women in our bilateral economic relationship. 

Common Cause to Combat Global Challenges

The rules-based international system has been fundamental to the security, prosperity and continued progress of our countries and societies, and we are committed to reinforcing it and transforming it for the challenges of today and the future. Canada and Spain stand united in our commitment to building a safer and more peaceful world. We are unwavering in our promotion of universal human rights, peacekeeping, peace building, stabilization and conflict protection, the protection of women and children in armed conflict, and the empowerment and education of women and girls in conflict-affected states.

United Nations

Canada and Spain will continue to work together to pursue this common agenda through all possible means, especially the United Nations. We are actively working within the UN to strengthen the effectiveness of the organization so that it can deal with today’s complex challenges.

We will advance international peace and security by reinforcing UN peacekeeping, in particular by promoting the meaningful participation of women in peacekeeping operations. We will empower women, who play a critical role in advocating for more durable, equitable peace, in all aspects of peace and security. Canada’s role in the UN Mission in Mali as well as Spain’s command of the EU Training Mission Mali underscores our countries’ commitment to contributing effectively to peace and security.

NATO

Canada and Spain are committed NATO Allies that value NATO as the cornerstone of our collective defence and as the fundamental guarantor of transatlantic security. We stand firmly together as the largest contingents in the NATO Enhanced Forward Presence in Latvia. We also serve together in Iraq and will continue to provide steadfast support to one another in the enablement of operations to advance security and stability. Our resolve remains firm in ensuring that NATO will deal with threats and challenges to the security of the Alliance, wherever they may come from.

Migration

Globalization, protracted conflicts and increased global inequality have contributed to the displacement of people the world over. Migration is a complex reality that presents both opportunities and challenges. Canada and Spain are committed to work together to promote a long-term, comprehensive vision of migration and displacement and encourage a positive and humane approach to address its challenges. Canadian and Spanish societies have a long and deeply rooted tradition of welcoming newcomers and recognizing the importance of creating inclusive societies that promote integration, and embrace the diversity that enriches our cultures and economies. We reaffirm our commitment to the Global Refugee Sponsorship Initiative and will continue to share experiences and best practices with each other. Canada and Spain are both working towards adopting the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration.

Environment and Climate Change

Canada and Spain share a common commitment to fight climate change, protect the environment, and leave a cleaner, safer, healthier planet for all our children and grandchildren. We will work towards the full and effective implementation of the Paris Agreement, which represents the commitment of the global community to combat climate change, with a view to limit the increase in global mean temperature to well below 2°C and to pursue efforts to limit it to 1.5°C from preindustrial levels.

We are aware that, as the scientific reports of the IPCC show, current efforts fall short of what is required to achieve the long-term mitigation goal. For this reason, both Canada and Spain encourage all countries to contribute to accelerating climate action and clean technology investments and to enhance long-term national ambition. Hence, and furthermore, we commit to do our utmost to ensure that the Paris Agreement work programme is concluded at COP24 in Katowice, Poland, as a crucial step in order to make the Paris Agreement fully operational

We are also unwavering in our commitment to make gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls a crucial part of our efforts against climate change.

As maritime countries that share the Atlantic Ocean as a fundamental and formative element of their identities, Canada and Spain will continue to prioritize oceans-related cooperation, such as protecting our oceans for use today and for future generations. We affirm our support for the Sustainable Blue Economy Conference in Nairobi and affirm our support to the continued efforts to address marine litter and microplastics.

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